This invention relates to the transfer of compressible fluid or gas such as oxygen or hydrogen to a relatively incompressible fluent material or liquid such as water or a coal slurry and is an improvement over the gas transfer systems disclosed in my prior U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,926,588 and 4,087,262.
According to my prior U.S. Pat. No. 3,926,588, gas is injected into a liquid within a gas transfer device and the gasified liquid is collected within a separate plug-flow chamber by recirculation between the chamber and the gas transfer device until the liquid is saturated. Recirculation occurs under a relatively high pressure for a limited period of time through a closed loop. The saturated liquid collected within the plug-flow chamber is then displaced therefrom by the inflow of the liquid under a low pressure. Two chambers are utilized so that the high circulating pressure may be maintained continuous even though it is only applied intermittently to each individual chamber. In order to avoid effervescence, a diluent is introduced into each chamber when depressurized according to my prior U.S. Pat. No. 4,087,262.
In view of the use of a separate gas transfer device in association with the plug-flow chambers as disclosed in my prior U.S. patents aforementioned, flow losses occur because of the necessary connecting conduits. Also, considerable equipment cost is involved. It is therefore an important object of the present invention to provide an improved gas transfer system which will reduce the cost of equipment and fluid losses inherent in the systems disclosed in my aforementioned prior U.S. patents.